Review: Bluetune Pop – a lot of sound in a little gadget

I know so many people have used this phrase before, but it really is applicable in this case: dynamite apparently does come in small packages – and the small package I’m referring to is the Bluetune-Pop portable speaker.

When I initially set out to review this device I imagined it would be like any other portable speaker I’ve come across: providing less than sub-par sound that’s tinny and makes you eventually chuck the thing in a drawer never to be used again. But I was pleasantly…very pleasantly…surprised.

Looks

At first glance it looked like a little UFO, complete with rubberised feet for that perfect landing. Although it didn’t take up much space on my desk, I caught a few of my colleagues eyeing it out when they walked past.

The finish is soft and shiny and the colour is great – and we all know looks and first impressions are important considerations when deciding whether or not to buy something. The particular little package of musical dynamite that I had the pleasure of reviewing was an amazing deep purple, but they’re also available in black, red, and white.

Photo: A. Larkham

Size

The Bluetone Pop fits comfortably into the palm of your hand and is quite lightweight. This is great for its mobility factory because it’s so easy to carry around in a handbag or pocket if necessary, and in total it only weighs around 255g – that’s not much more than a small block of butter.

Bluetooth functionality

Things just get better and better though. Thanks to its bluetooth functionality you can transfer your favourite tunes to the speaker without having to use hundreds of wires. Granted, it took me a while to figure out how to get the files transferred, only because I hard-headedly refused to read the instructions.

Eventually though I got it all working, and it blew my mind…

Sound

It may be small, but it’s packed with amazing sound and bass qualities that make you sit up and take notice. When I finally got a chance to play some music, it was 12:30 at night – I selected my song and when it blurted out of the speaker my jaw literally dropped. “That much sound and bass coming from this little thing!? How is that possible?” It was so loud I was expecting a knock at the door and a few angry neighbours on the other side.

The reason for its great sound may just be that it has an integrated Class-D amplifier with 4 watts of power and according to the Divoom site, this little monster has a 360° sound field…and they’re not lying. Also, it has a little pop-in/pop-out trick – to make it more compact, pop the base in; to make it a little bigger, pop the base out. But the latter doesn’t just make it bigger, it also makes the sound and volume way better.

Photo: A. Larkham

Not technologically advanced?…No problem!

If you don’t have access to anything that has bluetooth capability then you don’t have to worry. The Bluetune Pop comes with a 2 in 1 cable that includes a 3.5mm stereo jack. That means you can connect it to any sound source and not only those that use bluetooth. This is great for people, like me, who sometimes forget their phones at home. Or perhaps, you’re just the type of person who prefers to use devices like this with your laptop or netbook.

Also, what I found really great was the fact that although I don’t have the most technologically advanced phone (unlike my modern, up-to-date-with-all-the-latest-tech-developments colleagues) I was still able to use the Bluetune Pop and enjoy all of it’s musical wonders.

Battery

Granted, I didn’t have the Bluetune Pop on for hours, but another aspect I like is the fact that it has a built-in lithium-ion battery which Divoom says will last up to 8 hours (5 hours if you’re using Bluetooth). This means I can enjoy music for ages without having to worry if I need to nip down to the store to purchase 50 AA batteries. Simply charge the battery when needed, and viola, Pop’s your uncle.

Always up for a laugh but also an all-round calming influence in the Idealo offices, Carmen is normally the one bringing you the low-down on the latest fashion, celebrity, beauty and technology trends. Not adverse to being sent pictures of insanely cute puppies, she is a staunch supporter of getting an office dog - French Bulldogs are her favourite, but she isn't picky. She believes there's no problem a hot cup of tea can't solve, and she's one of "those people" who can't resist a spoonful of Marmite.Show all posts written by Carmen

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